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Tuesday, July 21, 2015

The Interrogation of the Auschwitz Garrisson Doctor Eduard Wirths by the British

Author: Hans Metzner

On 15 September 1945, the former Auschwitz Garrison doctor Eduard Wirths - previously arrested and questioned on 20 July 1945 by the German criminal police in Hamburg - was interrogated by the British. Here I reproduce extracts from the interrogation transcript, which was first published in 2001 by Ulrich Völklein, Der Judenacker - eine Erbschaft. According to Völklein, the document was called to his attention in 1985 and supplied to him by the British interrogator named Ian McBallister (see Christian Dirks in: Kramer, NS-Täter aus interdisziplinärer Perspektive, p. 150). Dirks notes that a comparison of content and style with Wirths' apology written earlier the year suggests that the document is authentic. Wirths attempted to hang himself few days later (likely triggered by the prospect of getting turned over to the Poles or Czechs revealed by the interrogator at the end) and died on 20 September 1945.

When have youperceivedthatAuschwitz was no labour, but an extermination camp?

Auschwitzwasvery much alabour camp. There wasin the camp itselfandin its complex thousands, eventens of thousandsof jobs. There were coal mines,chemicalfactories, factories for the productionof electrical devices, agriculturalworks, nurseries...

These existed indeed. It was about separating the able bodiedfrom those unfit for work. Andso thatthere were noblunders and that the number of those able to work was as largeas possible, I have repeatedlyordered andalsoinsisted thattheseselections arecarried out bymedical staff.

So doctors determined the way to death?

They determined in particular the way into life, so to employment in labour. Only those who appeared incapable upon application of the strictest standards were not considered.

He was led from the railway ramp directly into the death in the gas chambers, which were in sight from where took place these selections.

It
would have been impossible in wartime to accommodate and feed all these people who were no
longer able to work productively. After
the political decision was made to bring all Jews from the Reich
and from the occupied countries of Europe for labour in the East, we were
faced with the problem: What do we do with those who are unable or no longer able to work? We couldn't sent them back. We couldn't sent them further.Where should we have sent them? It was impossible to keep them with us, the camp was too small despite its size. We had to protect them against diseases, see the typhus epidemic, because of which I was ordered to Auschwitz. We lacked the effective remedies for this too. So
the selections and the killing of those unable to work in the gas chambers disguised as
shower rooms was indeed by no means pleasant, but under the conditions of war and the specific circumstances still a tolerable solution.

So you killed out of pity?

I can not give you an adequate response to such a question. It was war. Think
about the conditions in your home country in these years. Also in yours there were labour camps and detention camps for foreigners or
those people who appeared dangerous to your government. It was your country, which erected the first concentration camps in the Boer War. War has its own law. As commander of a front unit you need to send people into their death. As a soldier, you kill not only soldiers but also civilians, if you bombard a village or a town. As a medical officer, you have to decide which wounded you help and which youletdie. Unfortunately, there aresituations whereyou can decideonlybetween two evilsand you have to decide. Youassumeresponsibility forsomething that is ethically to be condemned and you get guilty in this sense.

[...]

What happened tothose able to work, andwhat happened to theother, those separated?

Thework able were sent to the camp, those unable for work to the gas chambers.

[...]

Millions of peoplehave been murdered there, an unimaginablenumber. Either they came directly into the gas chamberorlater, whenthey had becometoo weakfor slave labour. Orthey arestarvedordied of banal diseases...

...No,notbanaldiseases, buttyphusand other severe infections. Nor do I believethatsuch a large numberdied there. Thegas chamberswere establishedinthe summer of 1942, thecrematoriain spring and summer1943. They worked for one year. I've heard that a maximum of 5,000corpsescould be burnedin allfivecrematoria, if they had been in operation night and daywithout interruption. Therefore, it is not possible that more than 2 Million people have died, andeven thisis only a theoreticalnumber because acontinuousoperation of thegas chambers and crematoriawas already technically impossible.

I won't let myself getting involved into such number games. The Polesspeakof 4Million people, who were killed inthe five yearsinAuschwitzbydiseases, executions andmass destruction-in the gas chambersor otherwise. Several thousands havesurvivedfound in a pitiful state after the liberation of the camp by Soviet troops.

I did not deny that people died in large numbers in Auschwitz. I just wanted to set the limits according to my knowledge of the processes and facilities.

And two Million dead, that would have been okay for you, you wouldn't have to be upset?

Of course, it was not right. I
have had many clashes with the camp commandant Höss, with his
successors Liebehenschel and Baer and with my superior Lolling in
Berlin, where I pointed out that this large number of deaths contradicts the orders that we have repeatedly received from Berlin, which pointed out the importance of labour force of the prisoners for the armament industry. There should have been even the creation of work places for the sick and physically disabled. The spirit of these orders did not agree with the selections, that got out of hand. And I have often massively fought against this myself.

Withwhat success?

Usually withoutsuccess.

[...]

You were the highest death doctor and had to ensure that this death came a little slower.

If you see it that way, we do not need to talk to each other. I
followed my doctor's conscience under the most severe stress tests and
conflicts at a place and in a job, to which I have not
pushed myself to. I have been transferred to there. After
my arrival, I had the choice to follow my inner voice and expose myself
to these adversities or get away as soon as possible. I would have considered this as desertion. I went the hard way and remained in Auschwitz. I have entered the dispute with the camp commandant. I have improved the situation there. You will learn this when you talk to prisoner's doctors and prisoners
who have worked with me, who even asked me Christmas 1943 not
to let them down.

Of which probably no one is alive.

I hope so. What do you want to do with me anyway?

The Czechs have called on the "War Crimes Commission" for your arrest. I suppose that you are handed over to the Czechs or the Poles, if a request for extradition is made. Since
1943 there is an agreement between the Allied Powers that every war criminal
is being transferred to the country where he committed his crimes. There he will be brought to justice.

And you believe that Germans have the prospect for a fair trial there?

Your concern for a fair trial is understandable, but it seems a little bit strange to me. How fair have you been in your conduct towards your victims? What rights of these people have you respected? But never mind that. Today, I will report your arrest to my superiors office. You will remain in custody until I learn otherwise. And then we'll see.